Abstract:

The snake is the symbol of medicine due to its association with Asclepius, the
Greek God of medicine, and so with good reasons. More than 725 species of venomous
snakes have toxins specifically evolved to exert potent bioactivity in prey or victims, and
snakebites constitute a public health hazard of high impact in Asia, Africa, Latin America,
and parts of Oceania. Parenteral administration of antivenoms is the mainstay in snakebite
envenoming therapy. However, despite well-demonstrated efficacy and safety of many antivenoms
worldwide, they are still being produced by traditional animal immunization procedures,
and therefore present a number of drawbacks. Technological advances within biopharmaceutical
development and medicinal chemistry could pave the way for rational drug
design approaches against snake toxins. This could minimize the use of animals and bring
forward more effective therapies for snakebite envenomings. In this review, current stateof-
the-art in biopharmaceutical antitoxin development is presented together with an overview
of available bioinformatics and structural data on snake venom toxins. This growing body of scientific and
technological tools could define the basis for introducing a rational drug design approach into the field of snakebite
envenoming therapy.

Abstract:The snake is the symbol of medicine due to its association with Asclepius, the
Greek God of medicine, and so with good reasons. More than 725 species of venomous
snakes have toxins specifically evolved to exert potent bioactivity in prey or victims, and
snakebites constitute a public health hazard of high impact in Asia, Africa, Latin America,
and parts of Oceania. Parenteral administration of antivenoms is the mainstay in snakebite
envenoming therapy. However, despite well-demonstrated efficacy and safety of many antivenoms
worldwide, they are still being produced by traditional animal immunization procedures,
and therefore present a number of drawbacks. Technological advances within biopharmaceutical
development and medicinal chemistry could pave the way for rational drug
design approaches against snake toxins. This could minimize the use of animals and bring
forward more effective therapies for snakebite envenomings. In this review, current stateof-
the-art in biopharmaceutical antitoxin development is presented together with an overview
of available bioinformatics and structural data on snake venom toxins. This growing body of scientific and
technological tools could define the basis for introducing a rational drug design approach into the field of snakebite
envenoming therapy.